Method and system for provisioning and maintaining a circuit in a data network

Abstract

A method and system are provided for provisioning a circuit in a data network without manual intervention. A network management module receives an order for provisioning the circuit and then, based on the order, transmits a request to a legacy logical element module to configure a logical circuit in one or more network devices in the network. The network device may be a switch. The circuit may be a frame relay circuit or an ATM circuit. A method and system are also provided for maintaining a network circuit in a data network. The network circuit includes both a logical circuit and a physical circuit. A legacy physical element module sends a request for logical circuit data to a legacy logical element module through a network management module in communication with the legacy physical element module and the legacy physical element module. Based on the request, the legacy logical element module retrieves the logical circuit data from one or more network devices in the network and transmits the data to the legacy physical element module through the network management module. Upon receiving the logical circuit data, the legacy physical element module troubleshoots the physical circuit to maintain the network circuit.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to provisioning and maintaining a circuit in a data network without manual intervention.BACKGROUND[0002]Data networks contain various network devices, such as switches, for sending and receiving data between two locations. For example, a frame relay network contains interconnected network devices that allow data packets to be channeled over a circuit through the network from a host to a remote device. For a given network circuit, the data from a host location is delivered to the network through a physical circuit such as a T1 line that links to a switch of the network. The remote device that communicates with the host through the network also has a physical circuit to a switch of the network. The communication path between the switches associated with the host and the remote device that passes through the network is a logical circuit. In a frame relay network, end devices do not select different routes for data packets sent between ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a method and system for automatically configuring and maintaining network circuits in a data network without manual intervention. The network management module receives an order for provisioning the circuit and sends a request to a legacy logical element module to configure a logical circuit in network devices. The network device may be a switch. The circuit may be a frame relay circuit, an ATM circuit, or other logical circuit. The invention also allows for troubleshooting the physical circuit to maintain the network circuit. The technical effects of the invention include automation of network circuit provisioning and maintenance, improved efficiency, and reduced human error.

Problems solved by technology

First, to provision a network circuit for a service, it is currently necessary for a technician to establish the physical circuit by making a physical connection (i.e., wiring the circuit) between a host device and the switch and then to access a terminal in the logical element module to manually enter data for establishing the logical circuit in the switch. However, these current methods for provisioning network circuits require the utilization of manpower resources (i.e., technicians are required at the switch and at the legacy logical element module) which could be deployed elsewhere as well as the time required for the technicians to manually enter the provisioning data.

Second, to maintain a network circuit, currently two processes generally occur after a problem is reported.

First, a technician accesses the legacy logical element module to troubleshoot the logical circuit by accessing and analyzing logical circuit data from one or more switches to determine if the logical circuit is down. If the logical circuit is operating properly, the technician then accesses the legacy physical element module to troubleshoot the physical circuit, which in most instances requires taking the network circuit out of service to perform testing. However, currently there is no access by the legacy physical element module to the logical data provided by the legacy logical element module for use in troubleshooting physical circuits. As a result of not having access to the logical data, there may be instances where the network circuit is unnecessarily taken out of service

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